Entranced
by Megami no Nekura
Summary: There's a secret that Hitomi's been keeping from everyone - including herself! Based upon episode 21-22, it goes off into my own stuff. This is only the prologue and doesn't show much of the plot line I'll have in later chapters.
1. Prologue

Prologue 

--------------------------------------------- 

'_I can't believe that everything has come down to this one, single moment..._' Hitomi Kanzaki thought as she glanced up at the two Zaibach guymelufs. 

The day seemed to be going well, all in all, but she hadn't been able to shake that dreadful feeling as though something awful were going to happen. Something to ruin such a pretty, sunny day. And she knew it had something to do with her reading. She'd lied to Millerna. Lied about the wedding. About how happy she'd be if she married Dryden. 

It was a selfish lie, but who else would know? She wanted Allen, and nothing would stop her from having him. 

Or was it... 

'_Amano-senpai(1)..._' she thought longingly. 

It had been so many months since she'd last seen him... and Yukari. Could it be possible that she was just lying to herself, and to everyone else? Was it possible that the only interest she had in Allen was that he looked like Amano? And that, in his own little way, he was a link back to her own world? Could that be it? Could that possibly be the reason she wanted to be with him? 

And what about Van? That vain, stubborn king. Yes, he was like that much of the time, but he had his moments. He'd saved her life more that enough times, and she had saved his. They were even. But she couldn't help but think that there was something more behind his efforts. She could feel something, but what was it? Something warm and fuzzy? No, that wasn't it. Van wasn't like that. 

"...Kanzaki Hitomi(2), the girl of the Phantom Moon," Folken's voice came from over the communicator. "Surrender her to us if you wish to have no more ill will." 

~ **_Hitomi... Ahiru-sama(3)... Fight! _**~ an echoing voice commanded her. 

"Nani?(4)" She looked around frantically. "Where... where's that voice coming from?" 

"Hitomi?" Millerna questioned. "Daijoubu desu ka?(5)" 

Hitomi nodded slightly. "Hai, genki desu.(6)" 

She looked to the two guymelufs with determined eyes. She wouldn't hide like this anymore. No more hiding. The voice, though she was unsure where it had come from, was completely right. Van, Allen, and even all of the others fought when they had to. When everything was on the line. Now it was her turn to do some damage. To do the most she could. 

"Van... Allen-san... Sumimasen(7)... I have to..." she whispered, raising from her hiding place behind the pillar and leaping over. 

"No, Hitomi!" Millerna called him, but returned to tending to Dryden as he groaned in pain. "Dryden?! I'm here!" 

Hitomi raced to infront of the two guymelufs and stretched her arms out. "I'm the girl of the Phantom Moon! Watashi wa Kanzaki Hitomi desu!(8) If you want me then here I am!" 

"Hitomi, no!" Allen cried. It was all he could do since he found himself oddly frozen in place. 

"Hitomi!" Van gasped. "Go back!" 

'_I can do this. I can._' Hitomi told herself, holding her position. '_I won't run. I won't be protected. I am not weak; I am strong. I can do this..._' 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

1.)-senpai: elder or someone more experienced. Generally, in the show, it means "Captain" (unless I'm mistaken)   
2.) Kanzaki Hitomi: In Asia, family name is more important, therefore, last name first, first name last.   
3.) -sama: A suffix at the end of names, used for someone you hold in high reguard. Can also mean "Lady or Lord" (ex. Van-sama :: Lord Van)   
4.) nani: What?   
5.) daijoubu desu ka: Are you well? Are you okay?   
6.) hai, genki desu: Yeah, I'm fine.   
7.) sumimasen: I'm so sorry.   
8.) Watashi wa Kanzaki Hitomi desu: My name is Hitomi Kanzaki 

  
I hope everyone enjoyed that... so boring! Blah! Okay, it'll get better next time around! I promise! Just peoples review! Flame me if you want, just review already! Arigatou! 

- Kurasu 


	2. A Dream or Reality?

Part One :: A Dream... or Reality? 

-------------------------   
(Five Years Earlier) 

There was a delighted giggled that came from the shadows. 

A young girl with sandy brown hair and emerald green eyes stood in the center of an old path in the forest. The light cascaded upon her as if it were a spot light, there only for her. The rest of the forest was shadowed, and the girl seemed to be searching for something. 

She wore a long white, very puffy and ruffled dress with lots of ribbons. She looked like a princess. 

There was another giggle, and the young girl spun around. It had come from behind her. She could hear feet shuffling along the ground but she couldn't tell from where. It seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. 

"Eh," she whined. "Miko! Stop it! I don't want to play games!" 

"Lady Tomi!" a voice screeched. 

The girl gasped, turning just in time to see a mass of black fur bounding towards her. She grit her teeth and braced for impact. 

"I got you!" the mass of fur declared. 

It passed through the young girl, and she smiled satisfactorily. She turned to face the black creature, and flashed it a thumbs up. 

"Once again, I don't like being tackled. I'm tired of having to tell you that." 

"You know, for someone so young you act really old," Miko complained. 

Miko pouted and sat up, wiping the dirt off of itself. It's features were clearer now. It was a beast man, a young cat-girl no more than the age of ten. She had black fur, solid black, with only one hand (or maybe it's a paw) that was white, as if she were wearing only one mitten. She wore a completely black outfit, or she might not have. No one could tell because of the color of her fur. 

"I have to act old. If I don't, then what'll happen if my mom and dad die?" the girl, 'Tomi' asked. 

Miko blinked once, twice, then tilted her head to the side. 

"That's... such a sad thing to think about, Lady Tomi. Why would you think of something like that? I don't like things that are sad like that. They're bad!" Miko declared as she rose to her feet. "And besides, your brother is looking for you... kind of. He sent me out here to find you." 

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Miko!" she cried with a smile, preparing to run off. "I'll see you later!" 

"Wait!" 

Tomi stopped in place, then turned back to Miko. 

"What is it, Miko?" 

"I was just wondering, why are you out here? That's not like you. Especially when you're all dressed up and looking so nice." Miko, down on all fours, ran up to her. "So why would you go out all this way when you're dressed up and looking so pretty?" 

"I'm..." She looked herself over with a confused expression. "Oh... I'm still in these clothes?" 

"What?!" 

Tomi looked at her with a wide smile. "I didn't even notice! I'm so silly!" 

She scratched the back of her head with an embarassed expression. Miko yawned, and then headed back towards the city with Tomi close behind. Both girls walked slowly, simply enjoying the scenery. 

-- * -- * -- * -- 

"Onii-sama!" 

Tomi ran up to the older teen. He knelt down upon hearing her voice, laughing happily, and wrapped his arms around her as she ran into him. 

"Onii-sama, Miko said you wanted to speak with me. What's it about?" she questioned with wide eyes. 

He laughed again, pushing himself to his feet and placing his hand atop her head. 

"Ahiru, you're a strange child. You try to hide your childish innocence with adult speech," he commented, turning to face the fountain. 

They were in the castle gardens. In the center of the garden there was a large fountain, which had been surrounded by plots of assorted species of flowers and bushes. Beyond that, there were trees and assorted statues. It looked like a beautiful paradise. 

"Onii-sama, why did you call me out here?" 

"I've always wondered... Why does Miko call you "Lady Tomi?" he asked, poking her cheek. 

She looked at him blankly, then walked past him silently. 

"Ahiru." 

She sighed heavily, then turned back to face him. Her young features were suddenly etched with lines of old age. What once was a young, lively girl was now an old woman. 

"Your soul..." 

"Onii-sama, that's too long a story to tell now. So let's talk about something else!" 

He let out a quick chuckle, then pat her head with his metalic arm this time. 

"So, how did it go?" he asked. 

"He..." She looked down, tears swelling in her eyes. "He said no... kind of." 

"Kind of?" He knelt down to look in her face and rested his hands on her shoulder. "What happened, exactly?" 

"He took off." 

"Oh..." He looked away, and then back at her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Come now, he'll come around. You won't be on your own, at any rate. All of us will be here for you." 

"I know." She said with a half-hearted smile. 

-- * -- * -- * -- 

A young, ten year old Hitomi sat up in bed slowly. She drew her knees close to her chest and hugged them tightly. 

'_It seems so real, my dreams. Why... why is it...?_' She looked to her window, then got out of bed and walked towards it. "Who are you? Who are you out there, all alone like that?" 

She stared at the moon silently, feeling something tugging at her. Calling out to her. She couldn't tell the difference. Which was reality, and which was fantasy. Were her dreams real? They sure felt more real than what she had come to know reality as. 

"Where do I belong...?" 

----------------------------------------------------------- 

  
  
Nice way of messing with everyone? Hm? I know, this probably doesn't make too much more sense, and I'm hoping that it's making you all want to know more about Ahiru(Tomi)... and what her connection to Hitomi is (I'm hoping!). 

Well, that's the first part. And "Onii-sama" is how someone should address their older brother (Can you guess who he might be? ~.^) Is Hitomi completely insane... or is she sane and just has a very odd past? Keep reading, and please review! 

  
- Kurasu 


	3. The Past, The Present, The Future?

Ah! Part two! I'm hoping that the reviews are accurate for everyone who is reading this story. And I'm glad that the people who are reading this like it so much (And that the last part did it's job by messing with your heads). This is one story I'm trying to keep up with, since I'm not writing it down on paper first (Yeah, that's my usual method).   
Well, I'm sure that this part will be the same and create some more questions for everyone. I know I'm mixing up all the ideas in my head so that when it comes out it's just simple clips (But I promise it'll all come together by... oh, say... by the fifth of sixth part, I suppose.) Well, I wonder if anyone knows what's going on... besides you two, Nico-chan and Ki-chan! 

Part Two: The Past; The Present; The Future...? 

---------------------------   
(Present) 

Hitomi took in a shakey breath as she stared down the twin metallic giants. Her eyes narrowed and she held her position. She wouldn't back down. It was her fight now. She would have to fight. 

~ Ahiru-sama! Don't do it! ~ the same echoing voice called out to her. ~ No! Not this way! Don't do it this way! ~ 

"Miko..." she whispered, a single tear falling down her face. "It's just like... my dream." 

-- * -- 

  
(Five Years Earlier) 

"Ahiru?" 

She turned to face the voice that had called her. She was welcomed by the gentle features of her elder brother. 

"Onii-sama." 

Once again she had gone to the garden, only this time it was late at night. This was her common place of sanctuary; a place where she came to when her thoughts would not allow her to sleep and she needed a way to calm them. There were lamps to light the way now, ones that did not appear during the day, and they shone with a strange green light. The strange light of the blue fires which lit them. To her, this was a place of magic and possibilities. This was the garden where the spirits of the dead came to calm their souls. 

"What are you doing out of here, at this hour?" he asked, walking closer to her. She silently turned her back to him. "Ahiru?" 

"I am... a princess... aren't I?" she questioned softly, holding her hands out so that she could examine them. "Am I real?" 

"You are a princess; a princess who is engaged to the prince of Fanelia," her brother told her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "But you seem troubled." 

"Onii-sama..." she looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. "You believe that I am worthy... but if only you know... How much I wish I could see my friends." 

-- * -- 

  
(Present) 

'_Destruction has followed me for such a long time. Fanelia... Freid... Allen's castle... Everywhere..._' She closed her eyes and looked down as the metallic arm of one of the twins raised towards her. '_Death... so much death... and blood. Everywhere. Falling from the skies... just like my vision._' 

Images of the vision she had seen in Freid appeared before her, dancing about her mind. Mocking her. It was a fate she had created. One that she had brought upon others. One that she had tried to stop... but it was her fault that it had happened. 

'_If I had never come to Gaea in the first place,_' she concluded silently. 

"This is too easy," Eyria hissed, pulling the trigger to her claws. 

-- * -- 

  
(Eleven Years Ago) 

"Hide-and-go seek!" a young Yukari declared, jumping. She giggled and hugged her friend tightly. "Hitomi, let's all play!" 

"Okay!" Hitomi agreed, peeling her friend off of her then ran off into the distance. 

This was the local park, which had to be a long way from home, as far as Hitomi was concerned. She was only four, but let nothing stand in her way from discovering more about the surrounding world. With her were her two of her best friends: Amano and Yukari. She'd known them since she was born. 

Today her mother had taken them all to the park. 

"Amano, you're it!" Yukari called, following after Hitomi. She stumbled a bit but didn't fall down; it wasn't as graceful a run as Hitomi's (Ku-sama: but of course we all remember what her great skill is going to be). 

-- * -- 

Hitomi ran faster and faster, feeling the leaves slapping her across her face as she ran. This was part of the game. Amano was fast. The both were. She had to get as far away as she could. He couldn't find her. Not now. The game had just begun. 

'_I have to... go... faster... farther..._' 

Determination spread through her thoughts and she attempted moving faster. She was just a child, such a young child, running through a forest. 

Where had the forest come from? The park didn't have a forest... did it? Was this just another part of the park that she'd never seen before? 

"Mama?" She stopped running and turned around. "Mama? Mama, where are you?!" 

The sound of trees cracking in half sounded in the distance. The ground rumbled and shook beneath her. Something was coming. Something big. Heading straight towards her. 

"Mama! Help me!" 

There was an unfamiliar growl somewhere around her, and she gasped and backed up. She spun in a quick circle, only to find herself surrounded by a strange darkness. What was this coming at her? Was it hunting her? 

The darkness encircled her, trapping her. It separated her from everything else. She was no longer in the forest. She was just in the darkness. Alone. With something big headed her way. 

"Mommy!!" 

-- * -- 

  
(Present) 

Hitomi held her position, watching the liquid metal that was coming her way. 

'_I will not fail. Not this time,_' she promised herself. '_It won't happen like last time..._' 

"I am not afraid!!" 

-- * -- 

  
(Three Years Earlier) 

"If you want me, then here I am!" Tomi declared. Two years had passed since that fateful day. "I am not afraid of you!" 

She stood before an army of guymelufs. There were so many; the lead was a crimson red. Like blood. 

She stood her ground boldly. Not wavering as the crima claw(Ku-sama: I think that was what it was called...Gomen if I'm wrong!) was shot in her direction. An eerie blue glow surrounded her, then it seemed to spread to the guymeluf. The crima claw came directly at her, closer and closer. She closed her eyes tightly, listening to Miko's cries. 

"Lady Tomi! You can't!" 

"I will not let you use my powers!" 

-- * -- 

Hitomi sat up in bed, then glanced around. 

"What..." She held her head in her hands. "What was that?" 

She looked to her nightstand. A single white feather sat there as a reminder. She placed a hand over the feather and sighed heavily. She closed her eyes and imagined the owner of that feather. 

"Why did you...?" 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

Ah... I think that made so little sense, I'm not even sure I can follow it. Well, I hope that part also made you say "What the hell?!". And don't worry. Soon, very soon it will start to make some sense. And the four year olds only talked as well as they did to allow you readers to understand. Hehe, plus I kinda suck at little kid speech. *glomps her Ryuichi plushie* As soon as I can think of a next part and get it typed out, it'll be up. I hope you all like it. See you all soon. Please review.   
(Sorry if I've messed with your heads too much and made this too confusing. I promise the next part won't be so choppy. ~.^) 

And please read my other story, Return to Gaea. It's an older one of mine (from an old account), but will be updated soon. 

  
- Kurasu 


	4. Wake Up, Angel!

Part Three: Wake Up, Angel 

------------------------------------------------------ 

Wincing, Ahiru opened her eyes to greet the morning sunlight. Such beauty brought such pain. How annoying. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and glanced around her room. The stone walls looked so cold and uninviting; like the promise of loneliness. She pushed herself up to a sitting position and took a quick look around her room. There were flowers on the nightstand, fresh ones. 

'_Miko must have put those there,_' she thought, reaching over to touch one gently. 

She smiled. The flowers were a mix of colors: green, red, blue, black and white, as if it had been tie-dyed. These flowers were only found here, in Andrealine. 

Andrealine. The only nation whose powers rivaled that of Zaibach's. A nation which she now led, since her parents' deaths. 

She sighed heavily, moving her hand away from the flowers before throwing the blanket off of her. She inched her way to the side of her bed and swung her feet over the edge. Every day started exactly the same. In a few minutes, undoubtedly, Miko would knock at the door, insisting that she come down for something to eat. And once she was dressed and downstairs, advisors would flock to her side and make demand upon demand, until she became so irritated she snapped at them. Miko would bring down Kaiou and then breakfast would be served. 

*KnockKnockKnock* 

She sighed at the dull banging on the door. Yes. It was starting. Miko's voice followed the banging quickly, 

"Tomi-sama! Come down and get something to eat!" 

First thing in the morning, today. Miko was too predictable. Life was too dull. Nothing ever happened. It was all just too... perfect. After the War of Two Empires, nothing ever happened. 

"Tomi-sama!" 

"Alright, Miko!" she snapped, surprising even herself. "Just let me get my robes on. Geez, it's the morning." 

Satisfied with the answer, Miko skipped off. Ahiru sighed heavily once again and slid off of the bed. The floor was cold, made of a dull, grayish, polished stone. She slipped on a pair of slippers and walked across the room. Dim light peeked through the red velvet curtains. She sighed yet again; something that she had done all too much in the last three years. She smiled sardonically, thinking of what her brother had said to her once. 

~ "Every time you sigh, a little bit of your happiness escapes." ~ 

But that had been a long time ago, and somewhere along the line they had grown apart. Not that she blamed him. Ever since the engagement had been called off, she had found herself full of anger and rage. In that time, he had slowly disappeared and then was gone, and she was alone. Miko was there, of course, and so was Kaiou, but she still felt so alone and empty inside. 

*KnockKnockKnock* 

She growled in response this time. She fixed her thin nightgown, grabbed her morning robe, threw it on and opened the door. 

"What?!" 

She stopped, then looked down. A young face gazed up at her, looking shocked, almost afraid. It was a young boy, about the age of five, maybe a year younger. He had chocolate brown eyes and dark black hair. He wore a simple outfit: brown pants, beige T-shirt, and brown boots. 

"Oh, Kaiou. Gomen-ne(1)," she apologized, kneeling down and opening her arms to him. He smiled and threw himself into her, wrapping his arms around her neck. 

"Oka-san!(2)" 

"Kaiou, is something wrong?" she asked, holding her son close. 

"Iya, Mama. I just missed you," he said softly. She smiled. He was such a smart child, so sweet. 

She chuckled, positioning him so that she could lift him as she stood at her feet. She walked, almost floating, as she strolled towards the main eating hall. She smiled, kissing her Kaiou's forehead softly. 

"Mama, you seem sad today." 

"Huh?" she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "What did you say?" 

"You seem sad." 

"I..." She found herself at a loss of words. Even as he was a young child he was so smart. "Let's go down for breakfast, Kaiou! A growing boy needs nourishment." 

That seemed to distract him. 

"Oka-san! I want sweets!" he declared. 

"Iie. Iie. You'll get fruit and some bread and oatmeal," she corrected. He frowned. 

"Demo(3), Oka-san-" 

"No." 

"Fine." He pouted. 

"You're such an adorable kid, Kaiou," Miko called to him, peeking up from the mass of advisors surrounding her. Whenever Ahiru wasn't around, it was Miko's job to be in charge. "Hey, Ahiru, today's a free day, you know. I'll handle everything. I even planned a picnic for you and Kaiou later on." 

"Thanks, Lady Miko," Ahiru called back, placing Kaiou on the ground as he squirmed about. He ran up to Miko and threw his arms around her legs. 

"Auntie Miko! Good morning!" he exclaimed, laughing. Ahiru bit her bottom lip, trying to hide her smile. 

"Let it out. That's not healthy." Miko chided. 

"If I've got the day off, I'm getting more sleep," she stated, turning to return to her room. She could hear Kaiou laugh and wish her more sleep. 

' 

-- * -- 

Ahiru found herself standing in the center of her room, watching the world outside of the castle. She rarely visited there anymore. Her elder brother used to take her there, almost everyday. It had been so much fun, and she'd even gotten to play with the other children. She smiled. She had gotten a taste of a normal life, as had Miko, but Kaiou hadn't gotten a chance to experience being a normal child, without the pressure of royal bloodline. 

"Something isn't right," she told herself. "Look at the world and tell me what you see. There's nothing like what once would have been. Zaibach... our rivals. Gaea lives in peace only because we can stop them. Because _I_ can stop them. And why is that? Am I really so special that I can defeat an entire empire?" 

She sighed heavily. So much had happened, and it was her mother's wish that she defend the last of the 'power', the power that was rightfully passed down through the Andreal bloodline. 

"Father... Mother... why did you leave me alone like this? How come I have to be all alone? I'm so scared, so helpless... and yet no one else can see it. Onii-chan saw it, though, and he left. Is weakness really that despicable? Do I deserve to suffer because I am not strong?" She closed her eyes, a single tear trickling down her cheek. "I'm so sorry that I'm not strong enough..." 

She gasped, her body tensing up as a horrid pain tore through her. Through her chest. She threw her head back, gasping for air through the pain and the actual inability to breathe. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't breath. It hurt so badly, and she could feel herself growing cold quickly. Her sight began to fail her next, and she fearfully welcomed the darkness that advanced upon her. 

The object which had struck her slid out of her chest with a sickening "plop". She fell to her knees, feeling nothing but fear now. Fear of the unknown. What was going to happen to her now? Would the darkness engulf her? Leave her with nothing. No life. Would she leave Miko and Kaiou now? What had happened? 

"Mama!" 

"What?" She glanced into the darkness, finding herself able to see amazingly well suddenly. There was a girl, a young girl, only four or five years old, standing in a forest. All alone in the forest. 

"Please! Mama! Someone! Help me!" 

The child was sobbing loudly, too scared to move. Helpless. Defenseless against the ruthless predator which was noisily advancing upon her. Ahiru could hear the trees snapping in half, splintering under its weight and cracking as it threw them out of its way. The girl had no way to escape. 

But she knew this girl. This girl was... 

"Hitomi! Run! Get away from here! now!" she ordered. 

Clearly her voice went unheard. The child continued crying, and the predator, a land dragon, was approaching quickly. But this had happened before, hadn't it? This moment had passed. This was... her past, wasn't it? This was how she came to Adrealine. How she came to Gaea in the first place. 

"You are me, aren't you?" she asked the crying girl. "Only... different. I've changed. I'm not the same. I was once you, once I was... Hitomi?" 

"Tomi-sama!" Miko's voice echoed throughout the darkness, followed by her giggle. "C'mon, let's go this way!" 

"I'd forgotten. _I am_ Hitomi... Kanzaki Hitomi. My mother... she was from the Phantom Moon, that was where I was born, and my father, he was the prince of my country, of Andrealine. How could I have forgotten this?" 

The image of the child faded into darkness, and she found herself standing alone once again. 

"What a rather pointless memory," she stated bluntly. "But... Kiitsu, he saved me that day. He brought me to my father, and my new mother. And that was how I discovered that... that I was of royal blood, and that it would be my destiny to rule this country, should I have no younger brothers or sisters. One was born, shortly after I came here... and I betrothed to the youngest prince of Fanelia." 

Memories she had long since forgotten were returning, flooding her mind. In all, there were very few painful. Many were happy, with her elder brother. Her fiancée's elder brother, to be more exact. There was so much she could remember, but why was so much of it clouded? Why just now was it returning to her? She hadn't even known that she'd forgotten it. 

"Tomi-sama! Tomi-sama, wake up!" Miko's voice echoed in the darkness once again. Ahiru turned around, facing the young cat-girl. It was Miko, but... younger. "Tomi-sama, you gotta wake up!" 

"Miko-chan... why are you...?" 

She felt so confused. Miko had lived fourteen years now, and had calmed down considerably in the past years. But this Miko, in front of her, looked only to have seen nine years, and still held that massive amount of energy. 

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Ahiru asked flatly. 

"No, you're alive. You're just sleeping," the young girl said with a smile. She giggled and shook her head wildly. "That's why you gotta wake up now! You're in trouble!" 

"Did I... Did I do something wrong?" She couldn't help but be confused. What Miko was saying made no sense at all. "What kind of trouble?" 

"Zaibach." 

"Zaibach? But..." She looked around. "Are they attacking Andrealine? Miko, how do I wake up?" 

"Not Andrealine. They're after you; after the _you_ known as Hitomi," she told her, still smiling. "You gotta wake up and protect yourself." 

"The me known as Hitomi?" she questioned. "Miko, that doesn't make any sense. How could Hitomi be in danger, if I'm Hitomi and I don't see myself in any danger?" 

"There were two of you formed. Two distinct personalities. Hitomi was formed by your life on the Phantom Moon, and you, as Ahiru, was formed by the eight years you spent growing up on Gaea." 

"How could that be? Ever since that day, I've still been here. That's eleven years, not eight." 

"In that last battle, when you took the hit from that red guymeluf. I know you remember. After that, you left us to return to your birthplace, to seek sanctuary from Zaibach with your mother," Miko explained. "But... you returned to your original age, and when you awoke, it became nothing more than a dream. Hitomi grew from then on, and you lay dormant inside your mind, waiting until you were needed. Hitomi is on the outside right now, and Zaibach wants her. She's not as skilled as you, with your powers, and she's pretty much defenseless. When you wake, you'll both become one powerful entity. You with the knowledge of Atlantis and its power, she with the personality formed by living on the Phantom Moon." 

"If the only thing she has to offer is 'personality', then why is she needed?" Ahiru snapped. 

"Hitomi is the original. She has lived a full life, while yours is somewhat incomplete. Everything that you remember since that battle has been false. You're skills are impressive, but you as yourself are not complete. What you both lack, the other makes up for. And your memories of your real life on Gaea will remain intact. you needn't worry about anything else now." 

Ahiru sighed. It still didn't make too much sense. How could everything have been false? How could it suddenly become fantasy? 

"How do I wake myself up?" 

"You just have to want to. To be willing to give up the comfort of the life that you've created in your subconscious. When you're ready, you'll wake up," Miko instructed her. 

"Zaibach stole everything away from me. My parents, my brother, even my freedom," she muttered. Knowledge she hadn't gained on her own was coming to her. It had to be Hitomi's. "I won't be afraid to face them down now. For... Folken... I'll free him again." 

"That... was a little too easy," Miko muttered to herself. 

-- * -- 

  
(Present) 

Hitomi opened her eyes slowly, feeling surprisingly calm as the crima claw came at her. Inside of herself, she felt as if she already knew the battle was over. 

"Weaklings. Trusting something so fragile as luck," she hissed. Her iris flashed pink, the same color as her pendant when it was glowing. 

The crima claw drew close, then stopped as if it had hit something. It struggled a moment, then began to spin uncontrollably in a large circle around her before striking the ground. A faint pink glow, in the shape of a dome flickered around her. Both guymelufs backed up, and the crima claw retracted. 

"What... what was that?" Naria gasped. Hitomi's hair had changed lengths. It had suddenly fallen to her shoulders. "She changed?!" 

Eyria shook her head. "That's impossible! How did she summon so much power?" 

"Hi-Hitomi…?" Van gasped, not sure what he should do. 

"She…" Allen was at a loss for words. What had Hitomi done? 

Hitomi looked up at the two guymelufs, her eyes dark and full of anger. 

"Let the gathering begin," 

------------------------------------- 

Whee... Part three is done! It's taken a while, and now that Winter Vacation is over I can finally load all this stuff up. And thanks to the vacation being so long, I managed to make this the longest part so far. (Five pages according to Word... HaHa!) 

I've been playing with this idea for a while, probably ever since I saw the episodes this is based on about two years ago. I'm just glad I can get it up into proper words and that people like it. I honestly don't know where it'll go... and I'm very sure that there's many questions about this fanfic being raised. Like… About Kaiou? He's a sweetie (but is he really her son? Does he really exist?). Okay, I'm starting to mess with you now. I'll just leave things unanswered so that the next part can answer just about all of your questions. 

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed to this fanfic so far. I appreciate all of your support. And don't worry, I won't stop putting up new chapters until the story is long over! Maybe put up a sequel as well? (Post your opinion on that in your reviews, please). I'm just glad this has hit four chapters (part three). I've been stuck on part three of my other Escaflowne fanfic for well over a year now. (Gah! Bad procrastinating me!) Okay, so tell me what you like, and if you'd maybe like to see me get up a sequel when I finish. 

And, hey, if you really want to get a hold of me, faster, there's a link in my profile that'll lead you to a message board that belongs to me called _Nekura Anime Obsession_. I'm on there just about everyday so it's the fastest way to get a hold of me. 

- Nekura 


	5. A Declaration of the Downfall

Wow... part four! Or part five, depending on if you want to count the Prologue as a part. Heh, I think that I'm doing pretty good. A little slow to start, then I jerked you all around for a few parts, then the question arose: What to do next? 

Well, let's see! I clarified (sort of) just what was going on, and added in a new question. I am pleased with myself because this story is doing so well. And all the thanks goes out to the people who are supporting me with their constructive reviews (they really do mean that much to me). So, onto the next part... Ready to find out what's happened to Hitomi? 

Part Four :: A Declaration of the Downfall 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The two Zaiback guymelufs took a step back so that they were pressed against the building behind them. This girl, Hitomi, had changed in an instant and it wasn't the most pleasant feeling thing. Her words were spoken coldly and she stood there with a confident air about her. 

"What - What is she!?" Naria gasped, watching her with wide eyes. 

"Folken-sama..." Eyria breathed, feeling all hope leave her. Watching this girl, for whatever reason, felt so disheartening. She radiated power that definitely exceeded their luck. "What do we do?" 

"You _do_ absolutely nothing," Hitomi snapped, as if she could hear them, or possibly even read their minds. "I can't stand people like you; you entrust your fate to to something as fragile as luck. And to top it off, you've changed yourselves so that you can have even _more _luck. Zaibach will fall as it should and I will be the one to ensure that fate. It will fall just as Atlantis did so many years ago." 

"Do you think that I'm afraid of your threats?" Folken's voice came from over the communicator. "I would have to say that I disagree with your claims." 

"I know that Dornkirk has seen it, that's why he pulled that little stunt of his. I'm sure everyone who can see me now knows that I have changed. If you could see me then I'm sure you would know who I am, Folken-niichan," she said, using softer tones than she had with the two cat-woman. "So, can you tell who I am, Folken-niichan?" 

There was a period of silence. A period longer than anyone watching would had liked. It seemed to become a staring contest between Hitomi and Folken who wasn't there. 

-- * -- 

Folken looked down from the Floating Fortress unsurely. He'd never given Hitomi much more than a passing thought, but now there was something about her he could no longer deny. Hitomi was not what he once had thought she was. No one had called him "niichan" except for one young girl. And at that, it was in another language he'd never heard before. Was it actually possible that Hitomi, the girl of the Phantom Moon, was the same girl he'd known before? 

"Ahiru..." he breathed, not knowing if his voice was loud enough to pass through the communicator. 

-- * -- 

"Folken!" she called back, taking a step forward. "Niichan! Leave them! Onegai!" 

"Ahiru..." he repeated, a bit stronger this time. He sounded as if he was in disbelief. She understood it, too. That last battle... when she was struck... it should have killed her. "It... can't be..." 

"Oniichan..." Her eyes narrowed as she took a step forward. "I will not allow this city to endure any more damage nor will I allow it's people to suffer at your hands! Sayounara!" 

She raised a hand to the two guymelufs and that same bright, pink light flashed before the familiar pillar of light came down from the heavens and stole them away. Hitomi smiled, and the others watched in confusion. She fell to one knee, breathing heavily. 

"Hitomi!" 

"Hitomi!" 

She closed her eyes tightly as Van and Allen ran towards her. She couldn't breath. This body was too weak to handle the energy this power took. In her 'dream' Miko had been right. Hitomi, the real Hitomi, had no experience with the full of her powers. She felt so drained. But why should she have to? 

"Hitomi?" Allen questioned upon seeing that strange pink glow again. He came to a stop just over two feet away, as did Van, and they both watched. Hitomi's hair shortened once again to its normal length and she collapsed to the ground. "Hitomi!" 

"Damnit, Hitomi, what did you do?!" Van yelled, rushing to her aid. He found himself pushed out of Allen's way as the elder samurai picked her up and began heading towardsthe castle. "Kuso..." 

He turned to where the Floating Fortress had been, only to find it had disappeared. 

-- * -- 

"Dryden..." Millerna murmured as she took a seat next to his bed. Upon doctor's orders he was forced to spend a few hours in bed before attending any emergency meetings. She sighed as Allen walked into the room with Van following closely behind. "The doctor said that she's just tired. Give her some time and she should wake up eventually..." 

"What happened out there?" Allen mumbled, staring at Hitomi. "She just... changed..." 

"Folken had called her something, right?" Millerna stood up and faced them. Van remained silent and simply stared at Hitomi. "He called her "Ahiru" right? I thought that's what he said." 

"He had to be mistaken. There's no possible way that Hitomi could be her," Van growled, clenching his fists. "Ahiru died three years ago. Hitomi is _not_ Ahiru. Folken's a liar... a god damned liar." 

"What are you saying, Van?" Millerna asked quietly. Allen remained quiet and just stared at him. 

"Ahiru is dead. She died in a battle against Zaibach three years ago," he spoke flatly, staring at Hitomi as she slept. "We had once been betrothed but it ended up being broken off when some things happened. Ahiru died leaving behind only one heir to Andrealine's throne. He and several of her advisors went missing shortly after they lost the battle." 

"Well, who ever she 'turned' into, we should be glad that she isn't hurt," Allen sighed, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. "We'll let her rest for now, and then question her in the morning." 

Millerna nodded though she had a worried expression on her face. Zaibach had attacked out of nowhere and demanded Hitomi. If they did it once, they could always do it again, couldn't they? 

"That's what we'll do then," Millerna agreed, turning back to Dryden. "We'll let them sleep tonight and tomorrow things will be cleared up." 

"Right." 

Allen and Millerna both hesiatated a moment longer, staring at one another. Van didn't even bother with them and sighed heavily. 

"I'm going to stay here and make sure no one takes her," he declared. "Merle should be around. If you see her, tell her where I am." 

Allen glared suspiciously at Van before nodding slowly. Yes, he'd make sure that Merle showed up. He would never allow anything to happen between them. Not now. What had happened with Hitomi earlier didn't make a difference. He loved her with all of his heart and he would ask him to marry her the first chance he got. But it could wait. He knew she loved him back, she had to. Van posed no threat. 

"I'll tell her." 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Heh... not much happened in this one, did it? Now, what to make this fic? All/Hit? Van/Hit? or maybe even Fol/Hit? Just wait until the next chapter gets up, and I'll give some hints as to the couples. Pay close attention! 

- Nekura 


	6. Two In One, Not My Favorite Deal

Wow! The support I've been recieving is so overwhelming! This is the second best wave I've ever recieved (#1 on this account... bad me dropped the other one cause I needed a break then forgot EVERYTHING about it; changed emails too and the other deleted). 

From the reviews that I've been recieving, I can tell that I'm doing a great job making new questions form in your minds and not giving out too much information. I'm actually making my goal I feel so special for doing so. 

School makes me tired and lately I can't bring myself to eat too much... bad sleeping at night... bleck. Maybe I'm catching something, ne? Anyways, enough of my personal life and onto Entranced! (Oh, and Ahiru-sama, when she's angry, tends to use some bad language.) 

Part Five :: Two in One - Not My Favorite Deal 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Hitomi found herself waking in a strange room, and the first thing she thought of was 'have I been captured?'. It was obviously a medical room, the supplies were strewn about the ground. The next thing to enter her mind was the presence of two other beings in her room: Van and Merle, who as curled up next to him with her head in his lap. If at any point Hitomi would have smiled or laughed at this, she felt no such desire at this moment. In fact, her first instinct was to tear him apart - and she had no idea why. 

'_Why do I feel so... angry at Van?_' she silently wondered, watching him curiously. What _had_ happened? She remembered hearing a voice call out to her, then another voice yell something, and then suddenly darkness. "Va-Van...?" 

She called him tentatively, not wanting to stir up anymore of those emotions. He was a good friend, after all, and if she couldn't think of a good reason to yell at him, then why should she? Only, she felt a little terrified of herself. She couldn't control these emotions she was feeling. What did that mean? How could she not be in control of herself? Of her own body? All she knew was that while she was sleeping, those dreams had surfaced in her mind, and a woman who looked very identical to her had spoken to her and said that everything would be okay soon. She didn't know that everything was wrong. 

"Van..." she called again softly. She didn't want to, but she could feel herself getting angrier as he didn't stir. Merle's ears did twitch, but she simply shook and continued sleeping. 

~ _Just go, Hitomi. They're both sleeping so soundly and won't know you're leaving._

"Who... are you?" she asked, taking a glance in every direction. 

~ _Would you shut up?! Just go before you wake him up, damnit!_

Hitomi's eyes narrowed and she just glared at the ceiling. '_If anyone's going to be the cause of them waking, it's you,_' she silently hissed. 

~ _Kami, you're dense! You think I can't hear that?!_

She gasped, and jumped back. And in her unusual graceful nature, she fell off of the bed in the process and landed on her butt. She whimpered, but remained silent while she rubbed her sore behind. 

~ _Kuso... just go to this castle's garden's already, would ya? I don't have all morning to wait for you to get up! Now! Go!_

"Geez..." Hitomi muttered. 

She stood up and tip-toed out of the room, hoping that this would shut the stupid voice up... who and whatever it was. This world held so many surprises for her that this occurrence actually didn't surprise her much. Still, hearing a voice inside of her head meant that something was terribly wrong, didn't it? Maybe during the whole skirmish that other day she'd hit her head or something. Hit it _very_ hard. 

She sighed, seeing the greenery of the castle gardens. There was mo sign of anyone, not a single person. So that meant that there was no one controlling her thoughts to send her into a trap? Or maybe this really was still a trap and for whatever reason they were all hiding. Still, she wasn't letting go of her idea that she'd hit her head and was imagining all of this. That still seemed to be the most probable explanation for this. 

~ _Good, you've taken us here._

"What do you want with me?" Hitomi muttered, hugging herself at the sudden shock of a cold breeze "It's so cold in the morning..." 

"Lady... Ahiru?" a meysterious, man's voice called her. She looked but was unable to see through the thick fog that had just rolled in. Where had it come from? There never seemed to be any traces of fog there before. 

~ _Don't worry. That's just Kiitsu._

"Who?" Hitomi sounded completely clueless. "Damnit, who are you talking about?" 

"Lady Ahiru, it was hard to recognize you in that outfit, and you've cut your hair," he spoke to her in soft tones. "It's been a few years now, hasn't it, my empress? You've grown into a beautiful young woman since I last saw you. You look nothing like a child anymore. And the others are doing well. Kaiou has been growing and he's a smart boy." 

"Kai... Kaiou?" she questioned, blinking a few times at the stranger. He was still slightly hidden in mist, but she was sure that he had the same features as Van; the same eyes and the same hair as well. Only he appeared to be years older, and his features were more chisled. "You... I... I'm dreaming, right?" 

"Dreaming?" he questioned. He then shook his head. "Something must have gone wrong in the process..." 

~ _You're damn right something went wrong, Kiitsu!_

Hitomi cringed at the voice's tone, but the man, Kiitsu, didn't seem to mind... or hear. Whatever was going on didn't make any sense. Was this really happening? Maybe it was all just a dream. Probably, right? Who would hear voices in their heads if they were awake, uninjured, and sane? 

"A-Ano... Kiitsu-san..." she began, but he waved at her. 

"Just Kiitsu, Ahiru-sama," he said. "Don't forget, I serve you." 

"Forgive me for saying so," Hitomi sighed," but I don't think that _I'm_ the one you wanted to talk to. My name is Kanzaki, Kanzaki Hitomi. I know that maybe you'll think that something's a bit off with me, but perhaps you want the one who's speaking in my mind?" 

There was silence, and Hitomi blushed. SHe felt so stupid for saying that. She couldn't figure out what had possessed her to say it, either. The perfect thign to do when you meet someone: give them an insane first impression. Needless to say, she didn't feel very smart. 

"The one speaking in your mind?" he repeated, then said it again as if he couldn't understand a word she was saying. "Oh... no... this isn't good..." 

"What's not good?" 

"Shimatta..." he hissed under his breath. "She didn't do it right." 

~ _Didn't do what right?! Damnit, I did it right! Damnit, let me out, Hitomi! I'm gonna wring his neck!_

"Let you out?" he repeated, blinking. She was totally clueless as to what was going on. '_Someone is inside of me? Not to make anything of it, but this is completely weird. And not to mention she can also hear my thoughts, which must mean that she can hear me right-_' 

~ _Yeah, Hitomi, I can hear your thoughts. But don't you think that I'm having a hard time with this as well? Come on, think about it. I've lived my entire life thinking that what's happened in the last three years was real. Then I suddenly come to find out that it was all a dream. And what happened in my life, you only remember as a dream, am I correct? But both happened, I don't know how, but it happened. And since we both have a life time of memories, something really weird is going on, right?_

Hitomi nodded and bit her lip. The voice couldn't see her nod, but seemed to know she understood and fell silent again. 

"It's always possible that Ahiru's will was very powerful... and she created an actual spirit for herself, not just a personality... but an actual spirit to live in the body... just waiting for the right time," Kiitsu mumbled to himself. "So then... I need to talk with Miko." 

He sounded exasperated, and Hitomi just felt drained. Why was this happening now? Why when it could have happened anytime before? But what he was saying didn't make much sense either. If this 'Ahiru' was only an alternate personality of hers, then how could she make herself into a spirit? 

"Hitomi-sama, may I please speak with Ahiru-sama?" he requested, looking into her eyes. "Please." 

"Hai..." she replied unsurely, looking down. She bit her lip, perked an eyebrow, then looked back up at him. "Um... Kiitsu... I don't know how to 'let her out'." 

"Oh... you don't? It should be easy. Just relax, fall asleep. Ahiru will take over after that," he explained. 

"Relax... fall asleep...?" She closed her eyes and let the darkness take her. She felt like something passed by her, someone running, almost, then nothing. 

She didn't see it, but he could. Her hair grew longer, to her shoulders, and her body grew as well, especially her curves. She didn't change from her school uniform, though. When she opened her eyes he saw two stoney jems, which reminded him of emeralds. He smiled a little, though he made his best attempt not to. 

"Ahiru-sama, welcome back," he greeting, bowing deeply. "It is an honour to be in your presence once again." 

"Kii-chan!" she squealed, then literally glomped* him, for a lack of a better word. "It feels like just yesterday I saw you last! But knowing what I do know it feels like it's been an eternity!" 

"So, how are the both of you taking this whole arrangement?" He became serious. "It's not a dangerous situation, is it?" 

"Oh, no. I think Hitomi-chan's still in denile, even though she's just letting things go on as is," she explained. "Beyond that, this is terrible! That stupid girl actually likes Van! I hate this! Tell Miko that she'd better find a way to fix this because there's no way I'm going to end up with that cruel, insensitive bastard!" 

"Calm down, Milady." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Before we talk about anything else, why don't I take you out for a walk? I think there's a certain young prince waiting for you outside the castle gates." 

She smiled knowingly. He'd broughten Kaiou with him. Of course he had. How could she have not realized that? Miko spoke to her telepathically, and there was a distance limit, so the young cat-woman priestess would have had to be nearby. Kiitsu was in charge of protecting both she and the young prince. He, her son, the future emperor of Andrealine, was waiting for her. 

'_I hope he's everything I dreamed him to be... my five year old son..._' 

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Aww... poor Hitomi and Ahiru, ne? Two souls trapped in one body. At first I wasn't sure how I should make the arrangement: _1) two personalities, one mind?_ or _2) two souls/spirits, one body/mind?_ In the end I decided on the second. The idea actually came from me watching Ayashi no Ceres; two 'people' in one body, but not the rest of the plot. And if you couldn't figure out what exactly Kiitsu looked like, he's like an older version of Van, think older twenties. Wow, she's just surrounded by 'Van' everywhere she looks. And if it keeps up, will Hitomi be lost? 

Believe it or not, there's a hint as to whom the pairing is, but it's not too clear. Actually, there's hints all over the place in this story so far. I love coupling them, but I won't tell you readers a thing! If I did, that's just ruin the story, wouldn't it? And you can't really get hints from _Return to Gaea_ because that's not even close to being finished. Another reason why I don't tell couplings in the summary, it's either obvious or I want to keep people guessing the whole way through. 

I saw manga Hitomi the other week. Boy, is she ever different from the anime Hitomi - even their last names are different! I really couldn't belive it! Longer hair, glasses... such a different girl! Well, I din't buy it, I may the next time I'vegot some money, but it may have to wait for one of my newest obsessions: Kare Kano. Simply the best anime I've yet to see or read(manga). I mean, the series uses manga-like parts too much, but it works out in different areas. Hehe, need to get it back from my friend. 

In any case, onto the next part which has a coupling of All/Hit (as if you couldn't guess, that's what's in the anime at this point). Until then! 

- Nekura 


	7. Secrets

Well now, part six is up! Hard to believe, isn't it? ... I guess not really, but oh well! Have you figured out the pairings yet? I'm just enjoying myself as I bug you all... tease you bacause only I know. 

Okay, I'm not really that mean. I know that there's many options, and I'm hoping it's pretty clear that there isn't a Fol/Hit pairing. I'll tell you that. Anyways, this part has been rather short getting up. I just finished the other part yesterday, and now I'm onto the next (sort of pushing off writing the other)! 

And now, here's part six! 

Part Six :: Secrets 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A week had passed since the 'incident' and Hitomi was glad that most of it seemed to have just blown over. No, it wasn't that fact that Ahiru hadn't been a bother, because she really was, or that any of her servants weren't making themselves apparent, because they had tendancies to show up every so often, it was just the fact that she had been so suave about it all. Deny, deny, deny. That was the key to let it all go without notice. Allen, Van, and even Merle had been quite the bother about what had happened for the first few days, but then Ahiru's advice on how to get rid of them was quite successful. 

Cry. 

Once those tears started flowing, and she started screaming out of 'frustration' they just backed off as though she were a woman possessed. It actually made her smile, and even laugh a little once she was in her room and they couldn't bother her. And Ahiru had been a help, a great help, in all of this. They were, technically speaking, the same person, and felt exactly the same as the other. It was almost like sharing things with a twin sister, only there was one thing neither really wanted to have to share. 

The usual conversation of the past week was currently going on as she lay on her bed. 

~ _Nee(1), Hitomi! Let's go to the main bazaar in the city today, okay?_

"Hai... hai..." Hitomi sighed, yawning. It had been a long night and she hadn't felt much like sleeping. There was yet another meeting between Asturia's King, his advisors, Van and Allen. And everytime there was a meeting she had a bad feeling in her gut. 

There had been no sign of Zaibach lately, and she was grateful for that. Ahiru had been a great help when Naria and Eyria attacked. She'd sent them off to who-knows-where. Ever since they didn't return and Hitomi had this sneaking suspicion that they were planning on taking her a different way. 

"I'm so tired... Give me some time..." 

~ _If you're that tired then let me take over. We'll just find some other clothes and just change places. I know that Kiitsu is going to have them there searching for someplace nice to eat._

"With my luck you'd get us in trouble," she muttered in response, lazily picking up a stick of Pocky and nibbling on it. It was fortunate that Ahiru wanted to teach her a few tricks, such as transporting objects over a distance. Once she'd learnt it, the first thing she brought over on her own was a box of Pocky, then several others. "We gotta keep a low profile if you plan on Van not knowing about you. I mean, I don't understand why you hate him so much, but you have to let go of some of these things." 

~ _But Kaiou is my - I mean... I guess he is, our son. Don't you want to meet him?_

"Allen would never let me go, not without him. So how am I going to explain a man that looks like Van and a son who does also? He's already uneasy about me going near Van," she protested. "And I know you don't have any objections to that but Allen doesn't own me so I don't plan on acting that way - if fact, even if we ever were to marry I wouldn't let him control me like that!" 

"Hitomi, who are you talking to?" Merle's ever curious voice came from the window. Hitomi gasped and rolled onto her back. 

"Oh, uh... just myself," she explained, pushing herself into a lazy sitting position. "Merle, I've told you not to sneak up on me like that, so why do you always do it?" 

The cat-girl shrugged. "I dunno. Just do." 

"Well I don't like it so get out," she snapped. Lately she'd gained much of Ahiru's boundless anger and found herself taking it out of the two from Fanelia. "I don't know what you or Van want from me and I don't care. I'm going out into the city." 

Merle blinked, then hissed. 

"You don't need to snap at me like that! I didn't do anything!" she screeched as Hitomi stood up and left the room. "What's her problem?" 

She stuck her tongue out at her befopre hopping up onto the roof. 

-- * -- 

Hitomi took extra care when leaving the castle to make it appear as though she were heading to the gardens, especially once Allen stopped her to give her a 'talking' to. She listened, then disposed of what he was saying. It was pointless to remind her of her place. Why should she have to do as he told her to just because they were together? 

Of course, maybe it wasn't her own choice to be like this. Ahiru had a very feminist air about her and didn't like to take _any_ 'crap', as she liked to call it, from a man. 

She grinned as she walked through one of the fields leading to the outskirts of Asturia. It was all too easy. She almost expected Allen to suddenly show up on horseback and pull her back to the castle. 

"Nee, Ahiru-sama... you haven't told me why you don't like Van. If I remember correctly, you guys were betrothed, right?" Hitomi asked. 

_You remember it, Hitomi. I have no need to say it._

Hitomi looked over to the faded image of Ahiru walking beside her. She watched her mouth moving and listened to her words, and she smiled. This sight and the sounds were for her alone, like an invisible friend. 

"But you know, I want to hear it. I don't remember that sort of thing clearly," she persisted. 

_When both of us had lived nine years, we were alone. He had lost his mother, father and even his brother. All he had was Merle. As for myself, I never really had my mother around, here on Gaea. I had the one who married my father, but my real mother, the one you grew up with, was back on the Phantom Moon. Van and I only had each other... since my father's death. Yes, I had Folken, but I couldn't tell Van. Folken wanted to remain a mystery to Zaibach, and not become a slave to the empire. If anyone knew about him then there was always a chance that Dornkirk would come back for him... and I didn't want to lose him... he was my niichan..._

"Okay, so now tell me why you and Van aren't together." She yawned, stretching her arms up to the sky. 

_Van and I were alone... and when we found out how we would... consumate our marriage one day, which needless to say shocked us both, we... sort of..._

"No wonder... and then you got pregnant from that, huh? And I'm guessing that didn't go over well with him," Hitomi sighed. "And if I should ask anything, what were you two thinking, doing something like that?!" 

_We were alone, Hitomi! We thought that only the other could be there for us... but I was mistaken. I wish I never had..._

"But you're so proud of Kaiou... how could you say that?" 

_Kaiou's the only good thing that came out of those times._

"I see..." 

Hitomi sighed again and looked at the ground. This was a strange conversation. Ahiru really was a different girl than she was. She didn't start her period until she was thirteen, and Ahiru had apparently started some time after she had lived nine years. Hitomi found herself wondering, still, what they had done. How two young children would do something so drastic just because they were alone. But in its own way it wasn't too surprising. On the Earth there were many a young girl getting herself 'knocked-up'. 

"Yeah, well maybe we _should_ let him know." 

_He didn't want a child then and I doubt he'd want one now._

"Don't be so sure, Ahiru-sama..." 

-- * -- 

In a darkened room two figures stood silently, their backs to one another. One was a tall, with long blond hair and sparkling blue eyes; the other man was shorter, with messy black hair and chocolate brown eyes. 

"Something's wrong with Hitomi," the blond said quietly. "I don't understand why she's been acting so strangely. Van, do you think it has anything to do with last week, and with Ahiru?" 

"Maybe..." Van sighed, slamming his fist on the nearest table. The gentle candle-light which was the only source of light flickered. "Damnit, Allen, she can't be... she just can't be..." 

Allen sighed and brushed his hand against the hilt of his sword. 

"Well maybe she is. She's not acting herself... maybe Hitomi doesn't exist any longer?" he suggested. 

"Do you really think that?" 

"Maybe. It's more than likely that Hitomi isn't in there anymore. She's moody now, and very cold. At least back then she spoke to you kindly. I don't think Hitomi would just suddenly become cold without a reason." He closed his eyes and turned around. "Van, what happened betwen you and Ahiru?" 

Van was silent a moment before he turned to face Allen. He waited a bit longer before deciding to tell him everything that had happened. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

1. nee :: Hey ; Say 

Well, that's the next part. I hope you all like it. I'll be taking a break from this fic for a short while so that I can write more of my other Escaflowne fanfiction, plus two others. So, please don't put "update soon" in your reviews because I can't for a little while. 

- Nekura 


	8. Love's Games

Wow, now part seven. It's been a few weeks, but I got most of the stuff I needed to get done, done. And now, here's the part that many have been looking forward to! 

SabineballZ: It's happened before. I've seen it on the news: ten year olds getting pregnant. And even two year olds starting puberty. They're rare events, but they've happened. Ahiru was just special, like them. 

Beeky: No offense taken! I've just seen it translated that way before, so I used it. I'll get it fixed eventually, when I've got more time on my hands. And thanks for the offer... there's lots of Japanese I like to use, but I'm not very experienced and could use help making translations to Japanese. 

Sakura-SA: I'm glad things are clearing up for you! (and thank you for submitting that story to NAO, we appreciated it greatly) 

Avelyn Lauren: Arigatou for your support, and don't worry: I'm making it as confusing as I can, but still giving the details that people need to not make their heads spin _too_ much. 

  
Part Seven :: Love's Games 

------------------------------------------------------------ 

"I see," were the only words that the blond haired knight could think of to say as he stared at Fanelia's king. To say the least, Van's story was a little strange. "So, you're telling me that you got her pregnant, at the age of nine years?" 

Van nodded slightly, staring out the open window. The only source of light in the room now. If Ahiru had taken up residence in Hitomi's body, then there was a chance that Hitomi no longer existed, and that the grudge that Ahiru had held against him was now reborn. 

"I was scared... I didn't know what to do, so I told her to leave and never come back..." he said softly. Allen nodded thoughtfully. 

"I see..." 

"No you don't!" Van snapped. "I loved her, I really loved her!" 

"Then why did you send her away?" 

"Because," Van replied in a voice lower than a whisper, "I was so scared and I didn't know what else to do. What would my people have thought of me? And what did her people think of her? My advisors said the right thing would have been to kill the unborn child, but... I just couldn't do that. Not to her. She wanted that child... and she wanted to be with me..." 

He blinked back tears and leaned back in his well furnished seat with a scornful laugh. 

"I loved her and yet I wasn't man enough to handle the situation... I bet she hates me for it..." 

-- * -- 

"Ahiru, would you ever give Van another chance?" Hitomi asked boredly. 

_No._

SHe sighed at the bland reply. Ahiru was strong-willed, and wasn't going to let Van back inside her heart anytime soon. Not that she could blame her much. What Van had done was pretty cowardly and low. A low that she didn't think he was capable of, but apparently he really was. 

"Nee, Ahiru?" 

_Yeah?_

"I get the idea that you still like Van... If you didn't, wouldn't we be gone with Kiitsu and Miko by now?" she asked, then hastily continued, "I doubt that you like Allen too much. He's so controlling. So why haven't you taken us with them? Back to Andrealine or something?" 

There was silence from the spirit, followed by a few more moments of silence. Hitomi could tell that there were still feelings shared between them, even if they were mostly hurt. Ahiru still liked Van. No doubt in her mind there. But as for Van's feelings... that was a big blank in her mind. He didn't mention Ahiru once since. He just asked how she got those powers, when she got them, and why hadn't she told him about them. All that seemed to matter to him was that she could be his way to victory, his way to defeat Folken and Dornkirk. 

In his eyes, she was no more than a simple tool for him to use. 

_You shouldn't get such foolish ideas, Hitomi. I hate Van... If he didn't mean so much to you, I'd kill him the moment I set eyes on him._

Hitomi flinched at Ahiru's words. _She_ cared for Van too much for her to kill him? Was it possible? Van was stubborn, arrogant, but when he wanted to be, he could show how much he cared for her. He knew just the right thing to do, on the rare occasion, but often he made a complete ass of himself. 

"I don't care for him that much," Hitomi sighed. "He's just been there a lot, I guess... We save each other's lives... and, I think he cares for me. Maybe not in the way I'd like him too... or maybe he doesn't know how to say it right and panics." 

_See? You like him._

"So what if I do? You do too." 

_He's only using you - err, us._

"We don't know that. I think maybe he does... you and I look alike. I mean, he does a lot of stuff to protect me... What if it's because he sees you in me?" she suggested. 

Ahiru scoffed. _Foolish girl..._

"At least I'm not in denile..." she muttered. 

_What was that?!_

-- * -- 

Merle tilted her head to the side as she watched Hitomi talking to someone non-existant. She was strange, all right, and had obviously changed since that day. Never before would she have 'disobeyed' her beloved Allen so. Well, maybe to save Van's life, but not to go out and talk to herself. That was strange, even for the Hitomi she had gotten to know. 

'_What is she doing? Lord Van and Allen will look for her soon... unless they get really busy... I wonder why she's so different... is it really Lady Ahiru? Is she really back?_' Merle wondered silently, still watching them from her hiding place. 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Ee... short. Gomen, I couldn't think of too much. Basically the title of this part was supposed to symbolize the fact that love plays around with your heart, even when you're so certain you feel one way over another. That's just the basic meaning, beyond that... I don't know. I'm having trouble thinking today, but I think it's an okay part. _Now_ can you guess the pairing? Heh, a little too obvious, maybe? 

- Nekura 


	9. My Son Our Son

Well, here's the next part, ready for people to read! I hope you all like it!

Part Eight :: My Son; Our Son

* * *

  
Hitomi sighed to herself as she wandered towards the busy baazar of Palas. The first time she had come here she had ended up saving Van from Dilandau's crima claw. Her heart raced as she focused on those memories, both in fear and excitement. There was an undeniable rush, a thrill, flowing in her blood. That day, looking back now, she had seen love in his eyes. It had been too short a moment for her to recognize it then, but his face and expression had burned into her mind.

Was it really just now, in this past week, now that Ahiru has surfaced, she could freely, openly, understand his feelings for her; understanding her own emotions as she watched him, knowing that once it had all been all right.

Ahiru had fallen silent and out of sight, back to her dark corner deep down inside of their body. Hitomi could tell that her thoughts remained solely on Kaiou and Van. It made her want to cry, knowing that a few bitter emotions could separate two people who once loved each other so much. Maybe that was why Van seemed so afraid to fully admit that her loved her. He did not want something like that to happen again.

"_Ahiru, I know you can hear me... Just show Kaiou to Van. It was our body that gave him life... so let's give our child his father,_' she silently pleaded.

She was responded with an unusual silence. Normally she, Ahiru, would have something to say.

"I don't know where to look for them," she mumbled, taking a look around, "so why don't you give me a hint?"

~ _He likes sweets. So does miko. Try some food stands._

Hitomi sighed at the flat, empty tone Ahiru spoke with. She could almost picture the stony expression and eyes that glittered with unshed tears. A thought crossed Hitomi's mind: when was the last time she had cried? There was anger and pain, but no release.

"Ahiru," she called softly, "I want to know if you would be okay with me showing Van his son."

~ _Speaking to me like that only makes people think that your insane._

"Fine," she snapped, '_I'll talk like this then, and I still want to know your answer. Van deserves to see Kaiou; Kaiou deserves a chance to meet his father._'

There was an unnerving moment of silence before Ahiru finally replied,

~ _Fine, but I'm not making an appearance._

"Not a problem."

-- * -- 

"She's **where**?!"

Merle shrunk away from Allen and towards Van, where she hooked herself to his arm. Worried for Hitomi she returned to the castle after after observing her for a short while to report back what she had found out.

"She was in the meadows when I saw her. Hitomi was acting funny, like she was talking to someone but no one was there," Merle said in a small voice.

"Damnit!"

He kicked the table which stood near him before knocking it over; both Van and Merle flinched at his outburst. He let out a string of inaudable curses, paced around the room for a moment, then walked up to Merle.

"Do you know if she's still there?" Allen asked impatiently. "Tell me. Did she say anything that might tell me why she's being so disobedient?"

"I don't... really know if anything I said would be of help," Merle whispered, cowering against a now unflinching Van, "but I think I heard her say she was going to the baazar to see someone named Kaiou."

Allen nodded thoughtfully then turned to look out of the window.

"I see..."

There was a soft knock at the door before a female servant peeked inside.

"Uh... Please excuse me," she began with a slight bow, "but the Lady Hitomi has requested to speak with the King of Fanelia."

She was a short woman with a soft voice. Her fair hair was pulled back into a bun and she had warm blue eyes. She wore a plain brown dress with an apron overtop.

"Oh... okay," Van agreed with a quick nod.

"I'm going too," Allen declared.

"No," Van said, "she wants to speak with me. I didn't hear your name mentioned."

"Well, she _is_my woman."

"Well _I am_a king."

Allen looked away angrily with a growl. Status gave Van the right to deny him the right to see Hitomi.

-- * -- 

"Hey, Hitomi?" Van called out to her tentatively as he entered the room. "You called for me?"

She stood in the center of the room, her arms behind her back as though she was hiding something there. She wore a dress similar to the pink one that Millerna had given to her before only this one had green fabric instead of the girlish colour.

She looked beautiful.

"Yeah, Van," she replied, tucking a few locks of hair behind her ear, "I have something to talk to you about."

He studied her closely; memorizing every aspect of her face, body and voice. She was like Ahiru in every possible way, right down to the 'proper' tones she used to speak with. She looked and sounded as though she could pass for royalty. Somewhere inside of her just might have been Ahiru.

"What is it?" he asked curiously, closing the door behind him.

She took a deep breath. Whatever she was about to tell him seemed to scare her, or at least it was worrying her. She shifted from foot to foot as she carfully kept that something behind her. She glanced towards him every so often, but refused to look into his eyes even for a second.

"Van, I know you... You must have realized by now that... that Ahiru... and I..."

She bit her lip; her could feel his heart flutter nervously.

"Go ahead, Hitomi," he encouraged.

"Well, Ahiru is... She's a... a spirit, I guess, living in my body," she breathed, "Actually, she and I are the same, I suppose... we have always shared the same body, just had different raisings and should have just been different personalities, but... And I'm sure you've noticed changes in me and all, too..."

He nodded, unsure of how to respond. So Ahiru really did exist within Hitomi's body. _What_could he say to that?

"Hito-"

"No, Van. Please don't say anything yet. There's one last thing I have to tell you," she interrupted him with her gentle plea. "You and Ahiru believed that you shared a bond beyond all else - that your love for one another could never be broken. At the time, both of you felt as though you had no one else, you'd both lost your parents... and, in the innocence of a child's mind, you both tried to make your futures definite. Out of that came something awful, but in the end something more precious than the entire world."

"Her... The heir to her throne?"

Hitomi nodded slowly.

"Van, his name is Kaiou."

She forced a smile as a small, black haired child peeked out from behind her. The kid reminded him of himself atthat age.

"He's my... my son?"

"If you'll let him be, Van, he could be our son. I don't know him very well, and neither do you, but I think, that, _together_we could be wonderful parents for him," she said in a soft whisper. "So, please, Van. I want him to be raised by both of us, forever."

* * *

  
Was that a shocking ending?

Ja ne,  
- Nekura 


End file.
